Empowering Victims, Challenging Systems
VASR is a grassroots social movement led by DV victims, with a mission to prioritize the protection of victims and children, within the Irish Legal System. We believe that every victim deserves justice and support, and we work tirelessly to make this a reality. Join us in our fight to create a more just society for all.
Did you know...
Many female domestic violence victims describe feeling re-victimised in the Irish Legal System. Women report prison threats if they do not comply with access orders. Contrastingly, low enforcement is reported for abusive fathers protection, safety, access or maitenance order compliance. Women and children often describe feeling powerless and unheard. Domestic violence history is often dismissed whilst perpetrators parental alienation claims are heard. Such claims are facilitated by profiteering legal teams. Women describe expert reports dismissing their children's voice's. VSAR members know this hidden reality from first hand experience.
Change is desperately needed.
One in four women experience domestic violence in Ireland (Fundamental Rights Agency EU, 2014; Womens Aid, 2023), whilst most perpetrators experience no consequences despite legislation (Womens Aid, 2019). Amidst rising DV rates and increasing applications for protection, safety and baring orders before the Irish courts - less protective orders are being granted in practice (Courts Service, 2021). Naughton et al., (2015) found Irish judges demonstrate pro-abusive fathers’ access bias, a preference to omit domestic violence from access cases and mothers are “pathologized through talk” (p. 349). Enforcement failures are hidden behind longstanding data collection neglect (National Observatory on Violence Against Women and Girls [NOVAW], 2022).
Domestic violence is STILL not a distinct crime in Ireland (Rape Crisis Network Ireland and Safe Ireland, 2022) and yet, most people in Ireland believe it should be (Horgan et al., 2008). The question is not why are women not coming forward, the question is why is tackling domestic violence not a priority in Irish courts, for the Irish government or by Irelands electorate? Denying or ignoring the social problem does nothing to resolve it.
The time for positive change and collective action is now. Help us protect women and children against the longstanding systematic neglect of their human rights (Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission [IHREC], 2022).
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"It's hard to think about other political issues when all I can think about is feeling safe, and keeping my children safe, sometimes it feels impossible - no one helps, no one cares obviously."
Brigid Kelly
Supporting Research
Safe Ireland 2014
In 2014 research conducted by Safe Ireland found serious concerns surrounding the Irish Legal System's mistreatment of female victims of domestic violence.
Womens Aid 2019
Research conducted by Women's Aid in 2019, found little had changed in terms of female victims of domestic violence re-victimisation experience in the Irish legal system.
Evidence suggests little has changed within the confines of the Irish Legal system. Victim mistreatment continues.
Department of Justice 2021
A public consultation conducted by the Department of Justice found strong criticism of the Irish Legal system amongst service users, including enforcement failures, long delays, gender bias, and training deficiencies. This evidence contradicts obligations under the Istanbul Convention which Ireland ratified in 2019.
Victim led review of the Irish legal system 2023
Qualitative research found mother victims of domestic abuse face unique challenges. None felt protected by the Irish legal System. All reported secondary revictimisation.
What VSAR-Brigids stand for...
Prevention, Protection, Fairness, Transparency and Oversight
Our victim-led movement aims to lift the blanket of secrecy hiding the legislation-enforcement gap, seeking to peacefully raise public awareness around the structural coercion of women and children in Irelands contemporary Legal System.
"Its like the Magdalene laundries...the state knows it and society allowed it".
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Stronger together, we work towards change. Irish society comprises an equal gender distribution, female (51%) and male (49%) (CSO, 2020). With limited access to power positions, female and children's human rights and needs are neglected.
We need to feel safe in our society, our streets and our homes. We need to stop society and systems unwittingly blaming us for our abusers behaviour.
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The in-camera rule silences domestic violence victims-survivors, ensuring an abusive system is hidden from public awareness. VASR - Brigids believe transparency and hearing victims voices is required for progress.
What can ordinary citizens do to help?
YOU can support VASR - Brigids in a number of ways:
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DONATE NOW to support us in our volunteer work, providing support groups, conducting action groups, creating helpful information and resources for female victims of domestic violence in Ireland.
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YOU can ask your local political representative, how they are going to tackle the lack of enforcement surrounding violence against women and children, in Irish courts?
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YOU can listen to victims-surivors stories. Healing happens when victims-surivors feel heard and supported.
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YOU can choose not to judge women who have/have not yet left abusive relationships, asking women in your community, how can I help?
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YOU can support our online social media campaigns to raise public awareness around victim- surivior mistreatment.
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YOU can support the call to make domestic violence a distinct crime with mandatory sentancing.
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YOU can sign our petitions to remove the use of parental alientation in Irish Courts, used in DV cases. This is essential to stop children being removed from their protective parent and being placed against their will with the abusive parent.
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YOU can write to RTE and other Irish media outlets requesting more stories covering the reality of domestic violence cases in Irish Courts. As a society we all benefit from hearing the truth from those that lived it.
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Change cannot occur without consquences for male violence towards women and children.
Together we can create an Irish society that is a safe place for all.
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"What hurt the most was no one believed me, they couldn't imagine someone they knew being so cruel. Well he was, not just once or twice, but everyday, he broke me down, stole my confidence and self-esteem. I couldn't even recognise myself. My one wish is to put the shame where it belongs, off victims shoulders onto abusers instead - where it actually belongs. We get blamed but we have done nothing wrong."
Brigid Murray